S.C. Gov. Haley: Sumter County a ‘star’ for growth and manufacturing

October 02, 2012

BY NICK McCORMAC
nmccormac@theitem.com

Gov. Nikki Haley, in her latest visit to Sumter County, touted her commitment to strengthen the state’s manufacturing sector even more and push for improved education and infrastructure in the state’s rural areas.

The governor has been a frequent visitor to the area since the October 2011 announcement that Continental Tire the Americas would build a new manufacturing facility here, and during her visit Monday, she continued her message of commitment to helping areas such as Sumter County thrive.

Haley, addressing the county’s three Rotary Clubs at the O’Donnell House, said since she took office, 27,500 new jobs have been created in the state, including 1,800 in Sumter County, an area she referred to as her “star.” Many of those jobs were manufacturing positions, and Haley said Sumter County was a region that exemplified that growth.

“Between Caterpillar, Apex Tools, Porter Fabrications, Au’some Candies, and the one we love, Continental Tire, that’s a lot for one area,” she said. “But that’s just the beginning.”

Half of those new jobs came from the expansion of existing businesses such as Caterpillar Inc., said Haley, who toured the manufacturer’s North Wise Drive facility Monday afternoon.

In March, the manufacturer announced plans to expand its hydraulics plant on Jefferson Road, adding 80 new full-time jobs and more than $20 million in new investments.

Haley, noting local teamwork, said Sumter County is an area that “keeps succeeding” and that success can have momentum going into the future.

But while the county’s unemployment rate dropped to 10.7 percent in August, surrounding Lee County (12.1 percent unemployment) and Clarendon County (14 percent unemployment) continue to have some of the highest unemployment rates in the state.

That’s why when new businesses look to South Carolina for new facilities, Haley said she encourages them to set their sights on the state’s rural areas and works to help those regions thrive.

“When new companies come in, they’re very quick to want to go to Greenville and Charleston. And I’m very quick to say, ‘Look at this area. Have you looked at Jasper? Have you looked at Denmark? Have you looked at Sumter? Look at these other areas.’ And now all of the sudden they see a whole new side of economic development,” she said.

More development in rural counties can be achieved through improved infrastructure and a renewed focus on education. The governor said she plans to allocate more money for road improvements as part of her next executive budget and is pushing for more vocational training and speciality education.

“If my goal is to bring businesses to rural areas, then we have to understand education has to be a part of those rural areas,” said Haley following her tour of Caterpillar. She suggested letting high school students receive speciality certification in an effort to get a jump start on future employment.

“They’re great jobs, and they don’t require a four-year degree,” she continued, “and we’ve got a lot of people who want jobs that can fill those, but it’s now moving that focus to how can we get the students in line with the workforce in line with the companies.”

Aside from highlighting the state’s job growth, Haley also touched on the wins and losses of the past legislative session. She touted new pension reform, which will keep many state employees from double dipping, that will save taxpayers $300 million annually; a new focus on clearing the S.C. Law Enforcement Division’s backlog of cases; and a stronger push to improve mental health counseling and treatment in the state. She also noted that voters will have the opportunity during the November general election to decide whether future gubernatorial candidates should be able to select a running mate for the office of lieutenant governor.

But there were some missteps, including the protracted fight to create the Department of Administration and the S.C. Supreme Court ruling that removed about 250 prospective candidates from running for office in this year’s elections. Haley pinned those issues on Sen. Jake Knotts, a Lexington Republican and political adversary of the governor.

Haley also said the state is “not out of the woods yet” in terms of its budgeting woes, and people should expect tough decisions to be made in years to come.

Reach Nick McCormac at (803) 774-1214.
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(This article reprinted with permission of The Item. For more info on Sumter’s daily newspaper, please visit www.theitem.com)